Ghostly Loners
by Nexa
Summary: Inuyasha, a mere child, witnesses his only friends murder on his sixth birthday. Now he's in highschool, and his best friend is still helping him. AU, InuKag MirSan
1. Ghostly and Alone

Ghostly Loners

Summary: High school AU, InuKag, MirSan. When Inuyasha's just a kid, he witnesses his best and only friends death. Now he's in High school, and she's still there, helping him through his difficult life.

Prologue

A boy with long silver hair and puppy-dog ears sat alone on a bench by the day-care door. A little blond girl saw his lonely face and walked over, sitting down beside him.

"My name's Jennifer. What's yours?" The little blond girl asked.

"Uh... Inuyasha..." The boy trailed off. His voice was rough, like he cried often, or didn't talk much.

"Do you want to play, Inuyasha?" Jennifer asked. She held up her bright blue inflatable ball.

"Uh... S-sure.. I guess..." He trailed off again, but got up anyways and played catch. Jennifer was soon laughing, and that gave Inuyasha the power to laugh too. His voice carried over the playground to his mother, who was sitting on a bench beside the road. She smiled gently.

The Inuyasha's mother had died soon after the day Jennifer and he had met, leaving him in a cloud of despair. He moved, and started living with Kaede, his mothers' best friend. Jennifer broke through that cloud again, and again, each time it would well up. But on his birthday, they weren't so lucky. Jennifer was running late.

"Hey!! Look at the half-breed!" Manten shouted. His bother, Hiten, laughed.

"Where's your human slave, huh, Inu-kurro?" Koga asked, laughing with them.

Inuyasha just ignored them. He was sad that Jennifer wasn't here today, but he wasn't going to give into these pathetic weaklings.

"Why aren't you talking to us, huh?" Hiten said. Manten pulled something out of his vest.

"Yeah, doggy, what's the matter?" Koga said.

"Let us put this pathetic half breed out of his misery." Manten said, aiming the gun he had pulled out of his vest at Inuyasha.

"Inuyasha!" Jennifer shouted, her voice carrying across the playground as his laugh had that day.

"Oh, look, the human is here." Koga said. Manten didn't care, though. He was rearranging the gun so that he could have a clear shot at Inuyasha. Jennifer ran across the playground, shoving other kids out of the way to get to him.

"Manten, what are you doing!" Koga asked as Manten shot the ground, right next to his foot. Meanwhile, Jennifer was getting closer.

"Manten!!" The teacher shouted, beginning to run across the yard. Every child had their eyes on Manten as he aimed the gun, yet again, at Inuyasha. His older brother had said nothing of it, simply backing away.

"STOP!!" Jennifer shouted, reaching them. She barreled into Manten, the impact jarring his finger to the trigger.

Time seemed to stop as the gun went off. The bullet passed through Jennifer's brittle body and past Inuyasha, hitting the school or the ground somewhere behind him. The teacher stopped in her tracks, staring at what had happened. Jennifer seemed to groan, falling to the ground. She was bleeding. And soon, she was dead.

Inuyasha stood in shock. He still couldn't believe it. The hole had been so large... The amount of blood that was covering her, him and Manten was massive. He hadn't known there to be that much blood in the world. As the paramedics took her away, as the police took Manten away, as the parents took their children away, all he could do was stand there.

Now, though, he was standing in shock as the little girl who had accepted him for what he was, for who he had been born, was being buried. She sat in the coffin, a serene look on her face. Her dress, her second favorite dress, was clean, and you almost couldn't tell there was a hole where her lung and heart were supposed to be.

As the preacher read the eulogy, and as they closed the shining, teal casket, Inuyasha felt a presence. He turned around to see her parents coming to him.

"Inuyasha... are you feeling alright?" Jennifer's mother asked, bending down and hugging him.

"Don't blame yourself, dear. It was an accident." She continued. He looked down at the ground. For some reason, they weren't angry at him, and they weren't blaming him, they were touching him without hitting him, and they were making him cry. He couldn't help but let the tears flow.

"Dear... It's okay... Calm down... There, there..." Her mother whispered to him.

The tears continued to flow, like a river, until it was time to go. When he was almost to the car, he felt someone with a small hand take his and lead him to the car. It was only when he got there did he see her. Still pale compared to her former self, and seemingly barely there, Jennifer smiled at him.

"Inuyasha... Inuyasha! Wake up!! Jeez, you're even more tired than usual." She said. She was seemingly standing on the dark hardwood of his bedroom floor, seemingly wearing some clothes she had seen in a commercial. That was one of the perks to being a ghost. You didn't have to buy clothes to wear them.

"I'm awake..." He said, turning over in his bed. His golden eyes reflected the little light given by the alarm clock on his dresser. He didn't know why he had one, Jennifer got him awake every day.

"Then get ready. Today is the first day of school." Jennifer said. She ran her non-existent fingers through her similarly non-existent golden blonde hair as Inuyasha got ready. She might be a ghost, but she still felt like looking decent.

Twenty minutes later, Inuyasha was ready for his first day of the new year. He had actually been going to this school for the past two years, being in the eleventh grade today. He walked out to the kitchen, grabbing something to eat. To his surprise, Kaede was up and had already made breakfast.

"Good morning Inuyasha, Jennifer." she said from her seat at the table. "Do you two want a ride to school? If you hurry, we can get there before they open the doors."

"Yes, please." Jennifer said for her and Inuyasha. Kaede, being a priestess by practice, could see her, and it truly helped. It had helped many times that Inuyasha had a 'Guardian Angel' and that Kaede would believe him about it. She was also a secretary at Inuyasha's school.

"Thanks..." Inuyasha said. Though he had been living with her for eleven years, he still didn't trust her fully. Partly because her sharp aura and powers could fry his demon half.

"You're welcome, child." She said, continuing to eat. Inuyasha had sat down and was eating, well, more like shoving everything within arms reach into his mouth. He soon finished, and they packed into the two-seated Oldsmobile. Jennifer, however, sat on top of the car the way there.

When they arrived, almost no body was there, except for a few new students who were sitting in the front office. As Inuyasha helped Kaede into her office and carried her bag of papers, the three new students looked up at Inuyasha. There were two females and a male. The female in the middle, with large blue eyes, dark black hair, and the powers of a priestess looked up the longest, her gaze caught by a blonde-haired girl who was wearing something she had seen on a commercial earlier in the week. A girl who had no presence.

Hey there. Kinda angsty in the beginning, but it gets better. Tons better. Anyway, time to go. There might not be much here, but it's going to get longer.


	2. A Girl With No Presence

Ghostly Loners

Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Inuyasha is not mine, and I only claimed him once. Please don't sue me!!

Hi there. Nexa here. I started this fic sometime last year. I'm only now posting it. Tell me what you think, 'kay? I need everything I can get. )

I'm also working on a one-shot, not Inuyasha related. It's more like a one-book shot, being an epic of minimum proportions. Heh heh. Well, see ya down there!

Chapter 2: A Girl With No Presence

The girl continued to stare in shock at the girl, who was now walking through the door, following the boy. 'What in the world?' The girl asked herself, looking at the now closed door.

"Kagome, is something wrong?" the other female asked. She ran her fingers through her brown hair and looked at her friend with a worried expression.

"Yes, Kagome, you do seem rather... odd, today." the male said. He clenched his hand to keep it from roaming, for even Kagome's punches were harder than he wanted them to be.

"I... don't know..." She trailed off. Did she just see a ghost? Or was it just a figment of her imagination?

"Kagome, what happened?" The other female asked again.

"I think I... I think I just saw a ghost..." Kagome said.

"I thought I felt something... But I didn't feel any malicious intent. What did you see?" the male asked, all roaming hands forgotten.

"I... There was a girl. She seemed about our age, around sixteen or so. She had long blonde hair... and she was wearing the outfit that Avril Lavinge was wearing on the cover of her CD." Kagome said. The shock was starting to wear off. "But... How could you feel her? I didn't feel anything, I just saw her. She was following those other two people..."

"Ah. I see. Because I am a Buddhist monk, and not a Shinto priest, my senses could be more finely tuned to feeling things than seeing them..." He said, not realizing until too late where his hand had roamed...

"Pervert!! Miroku, you're such a dang pervert!" Kagome said, leaping out of her seat and smacking the hormone-driven boy across the face. If she hadn't seen a certain someone out of the corner of her eye, she would've been inclined to do more than that.

!!! Inside the office !!!

"Kaede... the people out there saw me..." Jennifer said, sitting down on the desk. After being told to move, she slid off and stood beside Inuyasha.

"How are you so sure?"

"They're talking about it now." Inuyasha said. Jennifer nodded.

"Who saw you?" Kaede asked.

"The girl in the middle... They're calling her Kagome." Jennifer responded. Inuyasha had fallen silent.

"Hm."

"What should we do?" Jennifer asked, looking through the wall to see what was going on.

"What the!?" Kagome said, looking to the side. There was the girl again, with her blonde hair falling around her shoulders that disappeared into the wall.

"What is it, Kagome?" the girl said, turning in her seat, seeing her friends face go whiter than a sheet.

"It's the girl again." Kagome whispered, her legs getting weak. Miroku looked up as well, a handprint still clear on his face. This time, they all saw her.

"Jennifer! Stop! Get back in here, now!" Kaede's voice came from the other room.

"Sure..." Jennifer said under her breath.

"They seem like interesting people." Jennifer said, after a lecture that lasted five minutes. It was still twenty minutes before the doors would open.

"It doesn't matter. Inuyasha, please go out and get them. They must be new, and we must explain your... circumstances to them." Kaede said. As Inuyasha went out to get them, Jennifer's face clouded up... literally. First it got red, then it just turned into smoke. The rest of her body followed as she dissipated into smoke and circulated around the room. She had done this before, when she hadn't gotten her way. She soon stopped and landed beside Kaede's desk, slumping to the ground in a pout, just as the others entered.

"Hello. Would you mind introducing yourselves?" Kaede asked in her no-nonsense tone. You could tell she meant business.

"I am Miroku. This is Kagome, a dear friend of mine, and another dear friend, Sango. We transferred here recently from our old school, which was already in session when we moved."

"Why did you move together?" Kaede continued in 'The Voice'.

"We were taken in by Kagome's mother. There was an incident, resulting in the orphaning of Sango and myself."

"I see. On another subject, would you happen to be able to see the girl that is currently sulking beside my desk?" Kaede asked. Kaede didn't like to beat around the bush, so she got straight to the point.

"Yes." Sango and Kagome said at the same time.

"Although, I have the feeling, we are not supposed to?" Miroku continued. The girl got up and walked over to them. She looked each of them in the eyes for a moment before moving on.

"No. You're not." Kaede said. "I was wondering how it was possible you could see her when she has never shown herself to anyone but Inuyasha and I."

"Your name is Inuyasha?" Kagome asked, breaking up an important conversation.

"Yeah." he said, turning in his seat. He really didn't like talking to strangers.

"Kagome." Miroku said, nudging her in the side. She quickly turned back to the conversation.

"As I was saying. The ghost-" Kaede was cut off.

"My name is Jennifer. And really, Kaede, you're being too uptight about the whole ordeal. Who cares if they can see me? No body will believe them if they tell. And besides, Inuyasha could use some friends his junior year. Only having a ghost for a friend doesn't condition a guy for the outside world." Jennifer said. She had finished her insight into their soul. Another fine point of being a ghost. You can simply look into peoples eyes and see who they are inside.

"Hey!" Inuyasha called from the sofa. 'So...' He thought. His ears, though hidden, still heard what they had said through the wall. 'I don't want friends that can fry me to a crisp...'

"Admit it, ya big lug." Jennifer said.

"That still doesn't explain how they can see you!" Kaede said, beginning to become irritated.

"I'm a priestess, and Miroku is a monk. Sango was trained by her grandfather, who was a demon slayer before the war ended. We've known each other forever, so our tendencies have rubbed off on one another." Kagome said.

"They're telling the truth." Jennifer said. She was now sitting on the desk again, testing the dangerous waters of Kaede's attitude.

"Get off of the desk, Jennifer." Kaede said, thinking over what she had just heard. 'I could feel this girl had powers, but to know about them.. Truly amazing. My powers remained dormant until I was in my thirties. And a monk as well? And a demon slayer! This is too much for me to handle. Though... Jennifer was right. He does need more friends.'

"I have come to a conclusion." Kaede said, stopping Kagome's fidgeting. "Inuyasha, you are to escort these three new students to their classes. Not only that, you are to remain with them the entire day to make sure they do not tell your secret. If they do not mention it, then they are trustworthy. If they do, I will have a punishment for them."

"You can trust us, really!" Kagome said.

"Tell me, though." Sango said, speaking for the first time. At her tone, even Jennifer stiffened, though she could be done no harm. "Why is Inuyasha here, at an all-human school? He is a demon, after all."

Hey, hey, hey. Nexa here. No one knows how happy I am, that after one day, there is already a review. I'm so HAPPY!!!!!!!!!

Heh. Anyway, here's the new chapter. I wrote it in one day, so there are still errors galore. Heh. Thank You, though the review was anonymous, it was very happily received. I know this chapter wasn't as melancholy as the last one, but I'm in a good mood. Also, sorry if the characters are out of character. I need to revise Crystal Chronicles, but it will be back up sooner or later.

Review!!


	3. Demon?

Ghostly Loners

Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha. Don't ask if I do, you'll only make me cry.

Nexa here. Hi there. I got on the computer at school and I certainly didn't expect to see six reviews. That took me by surprise. I was giddy the rest of the period. Heh.

Anyway, other than that, I have to thank the people who reviewed. You will be honored by name at the end of the chapter. I can't check right now- my little sister is on the phone.

Also, this might be the last chapter for a while. I have the tendency to write like crazy then stop as soon as I'm done with a chapter. Heh. Well, enjoy it while it lasts, folks.

Chapter 3: Demon?

"Why is he a demon?" Kaede asked. She had felt a girl studying demons her entire life might recognize the signs.

"Well, you see, Sango..." Jennifer said, jumping in with what Kaede thought was going to be help. But both her and Inuyasha cringed at her next words. "When a mommy human and a daddy demon want a baby they..." She trailed off, leaving everyone staring at her in disbelief.

"What she means to say is, Inuyasha is a half-demon?" Miroku asked. He was as perplexed as everyone else in the room at how Jennifer was acting.

"Kinda. What I really meant is, he was born a half demon. He is a half demon because he was born that way." Jennifer said.

"That still doesn't explain why he is at an all-human school. And where are his claws? What about his other demon attributes?" Sango asked.

"They are hidden beneath a spell that I myself put on him, when he was just six years old. His parents did not want him to be shunned. The only demon attribute you can see is his silver hair." Kaede stated flatly. Jennifer nodded.

"But why is he here? Aren't you worried about him mauling a student that gets him angry?" Sango pressed further. Inuyasha's eyes narrowed, as did Jennifer's.

"He isn't like that!" "I'm not like that!" They shouted at the same time. They paused to glance at each other, then they turned away. You could almost see a pale flush on Jennifer's cheeks.

"It is as they say, Sango. You do not need to be so worried. Inuyasha is still to guide you around the school. You are to be kind to him and not tell the secret. Agreed?" Kaede asked. Her no-nonsense tone was back, and Jennifer shivered at its sharpness.

"Agreed." Miroku said as Sango was opening her mouth. She gave him a pointed look and walked out the door.

"Okay, Inuyasha, time to go." Jennifer said, standing up and walking out... er, through the door. Kagome and Miroku soon followed, Inuyasha taking the time to half-heartedly glare at Kaede.

"Where to go first?" Jennifer asked.

"So, Inuyasha, what's your last name?" Kagome asked. She had thought he was cute from the beginning, but was still too afraid to show it.

"... It's Shiro." He said cautiously. He knew she wasn't bad because Jennifer and Kaede trusted her, but he couldn't put down his walls that easily anymore. After the accident, he hadn't trusted anyone but Kaede and Jennifer.

"Shiro, huh? Mine's Higurashi. Kagome Higurashi." She said. Up ahead Jennifer was showing Sango and Miroku where their second period class was.

"... And over that way is the gym. You guys have that sixth period. After forth period, you guys have lunch, and the cafeteria is over this way..." Jennifer said. She was more than happy to finally be talking to someone else. Just her, Inuyasha and Kaede could get kind of... well, really boring.

"Hey, Jennifer..." Miroku started. He had always wondered, but because she might consider it rude, he was cautious.

"Yeah?" Jennifer said, turning around. She continued to glide over the floor, though, still leading them through the school.

"What is it like... I mean, um..." Miroku started. He was trying, but he couldn't form whatever he was going to say.

"What's it like to die?" Jennifer said for him.

"Yeah." He said.

"Very painful." Jennifer said, smirking. She remembered her own death, and how much it had hurt for the few remaining seconds of her life.

"Er..." Miroku started. Sango, who had been listening the entire time, smiled at the look of pure terror on his face.

"Well, it depends on how you die. I was shot through the lung and heart. But I think you don't really feel anything if you die by natural causes."

"What's being a ghost like?" Sango asked. Demon genius, sure. Anything about ghosts? Zilch.

"Well, it's like living, only you aren't restricted by physical limitations. But you can't talk to many people. There's also another place, I don't know what it's called, but it's a place where only ghosts and one person have gone. After you go there, you can't come back."

"I guess the other place is Heaven, right?" Sango asked.

"No. More like an alternate universe." Jennifer said. "Every single dead person is there. Entire families meet up and talk about what happened. People even fall in love over there. I don't want to go there, though. As a five year old, nobody wants to die. Also, when you're a ghost, you aren't stuck to one age. If I was alive now, I'd look like this, but since I'm not, I can change my shape, size and age. It comes in handy sometimes."

"It must." Miroku said. He checked his watch. Thirty till eight. And the thought that Jennifer had died at the supremely young and tender age of five.

While their conversation was going on, the first of the busses had gotten to school, and people were hanging out or going to their classes. Kagome was also trying to break Inuyasha out of his shell more.

"Lets get to class." Jennifer suggested, turning back around and pointing. "English, away!!"

"Fricken' lech..." Kagome muttered after hitting Miroku on the head again. English had been a breeze, but with it, came Miroku's close proximity. Not only to her, but to the other girls in the class. Surprisingly, though, Inuyasha had joined in with the pounding of Miroku.

'Already, he's coming out of his shelter...' Jennifer thought. Just a week ago, he wouldn't have answered a question about world history, but now he's finally answering a personal question. From a girl, no less!

"So, where to next?" Sango asked, looking at Inuyasha.

"Home Ec." Inuyasha said. His voice still sounded rough, but he had talked more today than he had in the past week. He was going to get used to it.

"I think we're sewing..." Jennifer said. Kagome looked over her shoulder at her, though one of the biggest rules was to not acknowledge her in public.

"She can... I don't know how to explain it. She can send out her presence or something. I dunno." Inuyasha explained.

"Or I can walk to the room and back while you guys are reading." Jennifer said. "But he's right. I used to connect my senses to the electronic system and travel to the next room to see what they're doing. It keeps you prepared."

"So, are we sewing?" Miroku asked. They were at the locker bay now. This school was different from their last, one of the differences being the lockers. Instead of being lined along the hallway, there were little 'Bays' that held about 75 lockers per bay. You had a different bay for each grade, and a row of ten extra lockers near the gym. By mere coincidence, their lockers were almost right next to each other.

Another difference, and a big one, was the teachers. But that comes later.

"Just down this hallway, third door on your left." Jennifer said, opening their lockers instantly. She had told them about this little trick earlier. It was a true timesaver.

"Okay. Let's go." Sango said, pulling out her next set of notebooks. 'I hate Home Ec.' she thought.

Hayo. Sorry this took so long... I haven't had much time on the internet, as of late. Blame my brother. He needs to work on his web comic. And I hate him for it. You want to see this dreaded comic? Start from the beginning. It has horrible art, and the humor is really lame, but check it out (out of courtesy, even) and I get five bucks. Five bucks that will inspire me to write more. So check out Fatman and (Remove spaces) and click the 'First' button. You might be disappointed... I was.

Enough with the advertisement. Thanks for reading, and thank you for reviewing.

A personal Thank You to : Ru-Dragon (Chapter 2), Le Chat Gris (Chapters 1&2), ShadowDragon (anon. Chapters 1&2) and -Lady Sacrifice- (Chapter 1)

THANK YOU!! 

R&R, Please. Many thanks.


	4. Where did you learn to sew!

Ghostly Loners

Chapter 4

Disclaimer: Don't own him. I don't want to. My friends would beg me to lend him out...

Hello there. I figured I'd start updating Tuesdays and Fridays... Maybe not Friday, but always Tuesday. Hopefully. Same with my other fic, Next Door Neighbor. I need to get back on track with that one...

I have BIG plans for this fic. Big. Soon, Sesshy will be on the scene... Oh! I think I know why most of the hits for this story stop at the first chapter. I think it's because the best friend isn't Kagome. Or it could just be horribly written. Heh...

Well, here goes the story. Now they get to sew... Ha ha. I'm glad I only had to cook in home ec.

Chapter 4: Where did you learn to sew?!

They walked to class, ignoring stares and whispers that came with Inuyasha. Though they didn't know he was a demon, they still thought he was strange because of his hair. He had also been very violent at one time, resulting in the injuries of a jock that had mocked him. Nobody made that mistake again.

"Hello! You must be the new students." The home economics teacher said as they entered the room. She had wavy black hair that was pulled into a ponytail. She was slightly plump, and her smile was too big, but she was a very nice person.

"Yes." Sango said. Miroku didn't want to get near the woman, and Kagome was busy looking for a seat. "I'm Sango, this is Miroku, and my friend over there is Kagome."

"Well then, I'm sure you would rather be working than going through the new student ritual. Please take a seat at this table, thank you..." The teacher then went to the front of the room to talk about what they were doing, and sure enough, it was sewing. They were making their own aprons, a fun task, seeing as they were to pick what materials they were going to use. They also had three designs to choose from.

"Okay, then. Tables one and two, come up and get your material and designs." The teacher said, and tables one and two, which consisted of the farm boys at table one and Inuyasha's crew at table two, came up to get their things.

Kagome chose a full apron pattern with two pockets, and some dark green material. She took some leftover fabric with a floral pattern to line the pockets with and returned to her seat quickly. She sat back down at the table and realized that she had forgotten scissors.

"Here." Inuyasha said, handing her the extra pair he had brought. 'Silly girl.' He thought, 'So forgetful.'

"Thank you." She said. Inuyasha sat down with the deep, blood red cloth he had picked and the same pattern as Kagome. He had chosen this pattern for more than one reason.

"Don't you dare." Sango's cold voice came from their right. Kagome and Inuyasha looked up to see Miroku scooting away as far as possible from her, holding his dark purple cloth close to him. He walked back up to the front to grab himself a design. Sango's temper had cooled down for the time being, but you never know what Miroku might do to piss her off next.

"Sorry to worry you, Kagome." Sango said, sitting down next to Kagome. She sat her pink material down in front of her, and grabbed from her pocket a pair of pink-handled scissors. As Miroku sat down across from her, you could see her aura flare, even if you didn't have spiritual powers like this group did.

'Interesting group' Jennifer thought as she walked into the class room. She had been checking out their later classes, and had even talked to Kaede a bit. She started walking to the table they were sitting at when she heard some whispers.

"Oh my god. Look at that girl with the black hair." A girl with black wavy hair said.

"I know! She looks like such a whore." A girl with short, short brown hair said.

"Yeah. And where does she get off hanging with that cute black haired boy?" The first girl said.

"And Inuyasha." The girl with her brown hair pulled back in a ponytail paused at the stares of her friends. "Hey, you have to admit, he's hot." The other two nodded in agreement.

"That other girl looks like a serious pole dancer, too. I mean, she's covered in makeup! Not only that, but she's threatening that guy like he belongs to her!"

"Yeah, yeah. And that other girls skirt is super short. I think I can see her underwear!"

"Ew. Why are you looking?"

"It isn't like I could ignore such a fat butt in the first place!"

'I've heard enough.' Jennifer thought. As the girls continued to talk about Kagome and Sango behind their backs, she walked through the table. She reached her hands out so they would hit the girls, hopefully stunning them into silence. Only one of them stopped at the cold that ran through her skull.

"What was that?" She asked after stopping mid-sentence.

"Eri, you're imagining things." The one across the table said.

"Yeah." The one beside her said.

'Looks like I'll have to take drastic measures.' Jennifer thought. A light bulb actually appeared over her head as she got an idea. She walked over to the stove closest to the table. She looked around, mostly at her group that was sitting across the room. When the teacher called out for tables five and six to come to the front of the room, she focused the majority of her energy on the stove. She waited until they were sitting down with their things before implementing her plan.

At the table, everyone was working diligently on their projects, including a very lazy monk. He had finished cutting out his fabric according to the pattern. His cuts were even, not rugged as Inuyasha's were. He had chosen a full apron with one large pocket. He got up, walking to the sewing machine, and setting up the white thread perfectly. He got to work immediately, sewing with the speed of a housewife. When he got back to the table, he had received more than a few strange looks.

"What? Are you envious of my fine craftsmanship?" He asked mockingly.

"Where in the world did you learn to sew?!" Kagome asked him. 'If I had known he could sew, I would have so many more...' Her thoughts were cut off as a large 'Fwoosh' sound came from behind her. They all looked over to a table that held three astonished girls. The stove directly next to their table had burst into life somehow, the gas burner putting off a flame almost a foot tall.

"YOUNG LADIES!! PUT THAT FIRE OUT RIGHT NOW!!" was heard through the walls as the girls got up and ran to the fire extinguisher. They were too late, though, as the fire bent and twisted itself onto the countertop and instantly took. They tried as hard as they could to put it out, but they were out of energy before the fire was. It took a little coaxing from Jennifer to finally put it out. She sucked up the energy that she had used to start the fire, and took even more to sustain herself. She knew it was wrong, to take energy that didn't belong to her, but she couldn't help it.

"Young ladies!! To the principals office, now!" the once-happy teacher said, trying to turn the fire alarm off. Jennifer met back up with her friends, even though Inuyasha was very, very angry with her.

"Why did you do that?" Inuyasha whispered, having to keep his voice down lest he be deemed crazy.

"They were talking bad about you guys. They called Kagome and Sango sluts. Not only that, but they called you boys worse things." Jennifer explained. She had no reason to keep her voice down.

"We need to tell Kaede." Kagome said. She had a mind for justice, not violence.

"Oh, ya think?" Inuyasha said. He hadn't meant to get this angry, but after finally having friends... well, living friends, and the fact that they had accepted him as a half-demon... Well, it was enough to make anyone lose control of their emotions for a while.

"So sorry, Inuyasha." Kagome said sarcastically. They all jumped when the teacher came and asked them if they had seen what had happened.

"No, sorry." Sango answered. But Miroku was still very mad at what they had been saying about Kagome and Sango.

"I did. They were looking for a way to light a cigarette. The one with wavy black hair was passing cigarettes around, and they turned on the stove. The girl must've had some alcohol too, because as she leaned in to light it, it just burst into that huge flame." Miroku said, all in one breath and with a strait face. Sango and Kagome had seen him work his magic before, but mostly on girls who claimed he would never get anywhere with him. His quick mind was useful, too, and it gave him the ability to back up even the weakest of his claims.

"Really, now?" The teacher said. "That's odd. None of them had a cigarette when they were putting the fire out." Miroku was getting a pat on the back from Jennifer, which was slightly disturbing. The cold feeling that would be there, gone, there, gone, and there again was making it harder to think.

"They shoved them back in their shirts." Jennifer said, and Sango quickly relayed the message.

"I thought you didn't see anything?" The teacher said.

"I didn't see the fire started, but I saw the rest of it." Sango said, standing her ground.

"Well, that's enough. I'll tell the principal what happened, so if you are called to the office later today, it's probably just for this. But if you're lying, don't think I won't catch you." She said, turning around as the bell rang.

"Oh, and Miroku, you did excellent on your project today." She said.

Kagome turned to Miroku again. "You never did tell us where you learned to sew."

Sango and Jennifer laughed at the panicked expression on his face, Kagome and Inuyasha soon joining in.

Yes, yes, another chapter comes to a close. Though it's longer than my other ones, don't get used to it. I just worked longer on it than usual.

Up next is third period. I haven't decided what it will be... But it is the last class before lunch! Send in your request for the next class.

I want... four reviews before I update. I can count on three, but...

Yes!! I'm holding the chapter ransom for reviews! That, or I can... heh heh. You shall not know!

Anyway, review quickly, because I want to update on Tuesday. Remember: Four reviews.


	5. What's Next?

Ghostly Loners

Chapter 5

Well, since you guys didn't offer me a class, I have to do this on my own… feh. Well, how about… you don't get to know until you read! Ha!

Well, on to the story.

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha. Pah.

Chapter 5: What's next?

"So… what's next?" Kagome asked. She was hoping it didn't turn out like this class had.

"Math." Inuyasha said, against his will, and continued. "Then lunch."

"Lunch… I'm starved." Sango said.

"Where did Jennifer go?" Miroku asked.

"Oh, she took some of the teachers cigarettes and put them on those girls." Sango said.

"Why?" Miroku asked.

"Well, you said they had cigarettes." Sango pointed out.

"But they would have been smart enough to dump them in a trash can." Miroku countered. They walked back to the lockers, hoping they wouldn't be late.

"No they wouldn't have." Sango said. "Remember that kid in our last school? He would do anything for a cigarette - even drink toilet water."

"How do you know?"

"I was there when they sent him into the girls room with somebody else to get the water." Sango said, kicking Miroku in the shin when he was about to cop a feel. She had just opened her and Kagome's locker when Jennifer came speeding around the corner - running through several people in the process.

"They got suspended!" She said, loud enough to get the others attention.

"I'm not surprised. Hey, you seem more… physical. What happened?" Inuyasha asked. Normally she was very translucent, because she died at the age of five, she didn't have much energy to keep herself on this plane of existence and move or talk at the same time.

"I accidentally took most of the energy from the fire when they turned it off…" Jennifer said.

"You aren't supposed to do that." Inuyasha said. "I won't tell Kaede this time, but don't do it again."

"I know… and you're talking aloud." Jennifer pointed out.

'I guess I got used to it…' Inuyasha thought to her so the others wouldn't hear.

"Okay, then. Math next?" Jennifer asked. Kagome nodded, and they set off. They weren't off for long, seeing as the locker bay was right beside the class room.

"Okay, class, today we're going to be going over class rules, then it's free period." The teacher said. He was a pleasant man, in his late twenties, and you could tell he was very popular. With the women, that is.

"First rule: After you're done with your assignment, you can talk quietly or play Game Boys or PSPs or listen to music if you want. I don't care, as long as I can't hear it.

"Second rule: Assignments will be turned in the next day we're here at school. Tests will be done by the end of the class period and you can turn in word searches for extra credit.

"Third rule isn't really a rule. Your test and quiz dates will be up here in this corner of the board. If we're not here the day of the quiz or test, it will be the next day.

"Now here's that in paper form, signed by every math teacher in the building, the principal, and even an English and a Health teacher for good measure." The teacher said, passing the papers out. Indeed, they had been signed by every single teacher he had mentioned - except for himself.

"So, why isn't Jennifer supposed to absorb energy?" Miroku asked.

"When I absorb energy, it's lost. The heat from the fire would have moved around the room, and eventually the world, but when ghosts take in energy, it becomes nil. Zilch. It's useless to the living. It just falls out of the cycle of life." Jennifer ranted. Sango nodded, not really listening. She was programming her CD player to play songs 3, 4 and 7 off her CD, Jennifer noticed, craning her neck to see. They still had about forty minutes left of the fifty minute class.

"Well, that's very interesting." Miroku said.

"Yeah." Kagome said, taking the headphone from Sango.

"Well, you asked, Miroku." Jennifer said. She felt something in the back of her head. She turned around, not knowing what to see. She felt the tug again, and then she remembered.

"Inuyasha, I have to go… My parents want to talk to me." She said.

'Okay. Don't get in trouble.' He responded through his thoughts.

"I won't." She said, and she was off.

"So, my dears, what do you want to ask her? She is right here…" The old crone said, motioning to Jennifer.

"How is she?" Jennifer's mother said.

"I'm fine." Jennifer said, sadly. It had been much better when they had called Inuyasha to talk to her. But her father now blamed Inuyasha for her death, unlike back then.

"She says she is fine." The lady said, looking into her phony crystal ball.

"Is she still around that half-breed?" Her father asked.

"Ah… She is angry that you insult her best friend." The lady said. "She says that it isn't his fault she is dead… but that she died so he didn't have to…"

"She was five at the time! She can't claim something so extravagant." Her father said.

"Shows how much you know, she says. She also wants you to know that if you're going to be like this, she's going to stop coming to these little chats… and that she wanted to be cremated… and she's gone." The crone said, looking up from the table. 'Half breed? There was another man looking for a half breed… His name was Sesshomaru, if I remember correctly…'

"What does she look like?" Her mother asked.

"Please, look into the crystal ball to see." The crone said. Jennifer's mother looked forward, and surprisingly enough, there was an image of Jennifer as she had been in that room moments before, her hair in place and her clothes the same as Avril Lavigne's.

"So, why did Jennifer leave without telling us what we were having for lunch?" Miroku asked, pushing the small pile of corn around on his tray.

"Are you complaining about lunch? 'Cause we don't have to eat." Kagome asked. She hadn't gotten anything to eat, so she was listening to Sango's CD player again.

"No, no, the food is good… better than our last school's food, that's for sure, I just want to know where Jennifer went." Miroku said. He hadn't been paying attention to Inuyasha talk to her about her parents, so he didn't know where she was. He had been to busy trying to feel up Sango.

"She went to talk to her parents." Inuyasha said. He was already done with his food, opting not to talk until he was finished. It was a manner that Kaede had taught him.

"Her parents?" Kagome asked. She had been quiet lately, getting the feeling

"Yeah. Sometimes, Jennifer's parents go to a psychic to talk to her. Jennifer agreed to see them after she died, back when they didn't blame me for her death… but then they would talk to her through me. Since they figured out the bullet was meant for me, they go to that crone down on fifth street to talk to her." Inuyasha was letting more slip than he had meant to. Damn it! He was just going to open up for some people just because they could see his best friend… The thought of opening up was strange to him and he tried to shake it off.

"Inuyasha, you look tense." Kagome said.

"It's nothing." He said, brushing off her concern. He didn't notice Jennifer on the stage, looking at him with the same expression Kagome had on her face. She just turned around and walked away. She could almost feel the tears that would be going down her face if she had been alive. She needed to get him to open up.

She loved Inuyasha too much to let him stay so locked up inside himself.

Okay, there's another chapter!

I honestly had no idea what to do with this chapter, when the episode of CSI where the psychic was murdered came on then I had a brain flash!

Sorry it isn't as long as the chapters for my other story are… I was working on them longer, waiting for the forth review to come for this one… Then I got an extra review! I was so giddy, I couldn't think strait, so this chapter may be riddled with mistakes… heh.

And Ru Dragon, If you read my AN, you would know that the forth review would make me start to write again. Ah well. Can't be helped.

Thank you to Shadow Dragon, RuDragon, Le Chat Gris, Psyco-pyro-shrink, and BabyBunnyH for reviewing. I love you all!! Cookies for all!

Please review. It's always nice hearing from you guys!


	6. Chapter 6

Ghostly Loners

Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I own nothing… NO! Don't take my anime stuff! I only meant I didn't own Inuyasha… sniff

Well, here is another chapter… OMG! I have seven people on the alert list for this story…

Promptly faints

thirty minutes later

Uh… what happened? Oh… I fainted again… heh… Shakes head

Okay, all better now! Time for the chapter!

Chapter 6: I Need More Information!!

"She… She looks just like I thought she would…." Jennifer's mom said as they walked out of the building.

"I don't get it.. Why does she continue to hang around that half breed? He's the one who got her killed." Jennifer's father said.

"Wait a moment, Miss. I need to ask you…" The scratchy voice of the crone came out of the doorway.

"Yes, Mrs. Mogami?" Jennifer's mom said, turning around. Her husband turned around as well, looking the crone in the eye.

"You say your daughter is the companion of a half demon? What is his name?" The crone asked.

"Yes, his name is In--"

"Why does this matter to you?" Jennifer's father interrupted her, glaring at the woman.

"A man, by the name of Sesshomaru Tashio, has requested I find Inuyasha for him." The woman said, matching his glare. She looked down right pissed at this man, and she wasn't going to hide it. "Sesshomaru happens to be the owner of--"

"Century Corp., I know. He's my boss." Jennifer's dad said, looking admonished. 'Why would Sesshomaru be looking for a half breed?' He thought to himself. He had never seen his boss in person; there was only one person in the company (Besides Mrs. Tashio, of course) that was allowed to see him.

"Please, Come in, Mrs. Wood. There is much to discuss." Mrs. Mogami said, locking Mr. Wood out off the store.

"Hey! Let me in!" Mr. Wood shouted at the door.

Thirty stories up.

Thirty stories up and he couldn't see what he was looking for!

His fist came down on the desk, making a good sized dent in the metal. He growled to himself, getting up to walk to the window. He looked out over the streets, taking in a sight that would make some people dizzy. From here, the people looked like bugs, and he had once enjoyed the feeling of power the height had given him.

Not any more.

He growled again, still looking for the one thing he needed…

"Dear, calm down." His wife said. She walked across the room silently, rubbing his back when she reached him. She frowned at how tense his muscles were from his anger.

"I've been looking for him ever since I found out he was still alive. And I still haven't found him!"

"Sesshomaru, dear, you know he's still alive…" His wife said, still rubbing his back. His muscles were relaxing, but only slightly.

"Kagura, you know he means more to me than almost everything…" He said, still tense and angry. It seemed nothing could repair the damage…

""Sesshomaru, there is a Mrs. Mogami on line three for you."" The loud speaker crackled.

"Patch her through." Sesshomaru said, rushing to his desk to get the phone. His wife just rolled her eyes at him. He could be so… childish sometimes.

"Hello?" He asked the person on the other end of the line.

"Yes, Sesshomaru, we've found him." Mrs. Mogami said.

Jennifer sat in the rafters in the gym, looking down at all the people doing what ever they wanted to… within boundaries, of course. You have the gamers, playing their Nintendo DSes and PSPs, trying not to be seen, and the pep squad, being peppy and squad-dy. The Goths sat up in a corner of the bleachers, wearing black, Tripp's, and with their multiple piercings, listening to music and talking, seemingly the ones most comfortable with themselves. Then you have the normal people, with their insecurities and problems, wearing clothes like the popular people and goofing off like the Goths.

"Life is still normal…" Jennifer said. "Well, it would be for me, if I weren't such a…Ghost." Jennifer said, snickering to herself. She looked over to the top of the air conditioner, which hadn't stopped whirring since she had sat up there. There were already a few balls up here, from the gym class, apparently. There was a plastic baseball, probably from the first period ninth graders, and two kick balls, probably from the third period eleventh graders. There was even a basket ball.

Jennifer got up and walked over there, sitting down to test her theory. She outstretched her hand, and tried to make it as solid as possible. With all the extra energy from that fire, she thought she could do it.

She gently nudged the ball, still expecting her hand to go through it. She was surprised not only when the ball moved, but when she felt the ball against her hand. She kept pushing the ball until it rolled over the edge, falling to the ground below.

She ignored the gasps and cries of people as she knocked ball after ball down. She felt like she was on top of the world! She was feeling the cold and warm air, the smooth plastic, the cold metal. She could feel.

But she wasn't alive.

She thought back to the cafeteria, where she had realized her greatest fear. She had fallen in love with Inuyasha, perhaps the only one who knew how she felt. She was a ghost, and he was a half-demon… They were alone in this world. That's why she was with him.

I hate it, she decided. She couldn't stay like this- she had to get him to open up to other people, even if they were the wrong people. She had seen him talking to the group back there, and she could see he had opened up at least a little bit. But he needs to be more…

She paused, her thoughts taking a turn for the worst as the familiar tug on her mind came.

"So soon?" She asked herself. She felt compelled to go, even if it was just to hear her father cuss out her choice of boys.

"Family has always been the most important thing to me… and now, after sixteen and a half years, I'm going to finally meet my little brother…" Sesshomaru said to his wife, who was leaning up against his chest. They had stopped by an elementary school, the one their daughter Rin went to, and unknowingly, the one Sota had started at earlier today.

"Daddy…" Rin said, sitting across from her adopted parents. Sesshomaru had adopted her before he had met Kagura. Kagura had adopted Rin when they were married, giving Rin a full family at last. And now she discovered that she had an uncle, too!

"Yes Rin?" Sesshomaru said, looking up at his darling child.

"You have a brother?" She asked tentatively.

"Yes, I do. I only met him once, though…"

!# Flash Back !#

"Sesshomaru, my boy! How long has it been?" Mr. Tashio boomed, his voice carrying down the hall. The man scooped up his son and spun him around, setting him on the ground.

"Too long, father." The boy said, his hair shining silver in the halogen lights. The boy's mother sat down, upset at being displaced so easily. The father's new wife sat behind him, holding a small bundle.

Sesshomaru laughed happily with his father, unlike he did with his mother.

"Good to see you too, Izayoi." Sesshomaru said, looking at the beautiful woman.

"Yes, good to see you." She said, looking up from the bundle. Sesshomaru got closer for a better look.

"Nya!" A child with silver dog ears poking from his head said, cooing at his older half-brother.

"What is his name?" Sesshomaru asked, looking down at the child.

"Inuyasha. Isn't he precious?" Izayoi asked. Sesshomaru nodded, not expecting her to hand the child to him.

"Ahh!" Sesshomaru said, an adorable expression on his face as he panicked. He looked at his father, asking with his wide eyes for an explanation.

"Agaa ma." Inuyasha said, looking up at Sesshomaru. Sesshomaru looked down his long hair falling over his shoulder.

And into the grasp of the baby.

"Ahh!" Sesshomaru said again, only this time out of pain and not surprise. Izayoi quickly undid the damage, and took back the baby.

"Sorry… He just startled me." Sesshomaru said, looking at the ground.

"It's okay, dear. Don't worry." Izayoi said, patting him on the head.

All through the encounter, Sesshomaru's mother was getting angrier and angrier. She hated that a human woman had weaseled her way in to her ex-husbands heart. She hated that her son got along with that woman. And she hated that they had a child together.

She abhorred that half-breed.

"Sesshomaru, it's time to go now. Your doctor won't wait much longer." She said, glaring at her ex and his wife.

"Okay, mom." Sesshomaru said, waving good bye to his father. "See you soon, Dad!"

But he didn't see him until the funeral six years later. And by then, he was an adult.

!# End !#

Rin looked at the ground as they pulled alongside the street. Sesshomaru looked out the tinted windows, to see one of his higher class employees sitting on a bench outside the shop. He looked angered… Mr. Wood was his name.

"Honey, we're here." Kagura said, getting out. Rin got up too, getting out only to be picked up by Kagura.

"I'm not a baby anymore, Mom!" She said quietly, but didn't struggle.

Sesshomaru told the driver to park somewhere close, and got out himself, looking up and down the street. No one recognized him. Good.

"Ah, Mr. Tashio, quickly come inside. We have someone here who will tell you how to meet your brother." Mrs. Mogami said, ushering him inside. Mr. Wood fell over out of shock.

"Your brother is the half breed? The one that killed my daughter!" He said, finally getting inside the shop again. "My daughter was no older than her when she died!" He continued, gesturing at Rin. She tried to get closer to her mother, and away from the mad man.

"I suggest you hold your tongue, sir." Sesshomaru said, glaring at him.

"Wow." Jennifer said from the crystal ball. Her voice was the same as it had been years ago. "Someone that can actually shut my dad up."

"Jennifer…" Mrs. Wood said, breaking into a fresh batch of tears.

"Mom, stop crying. It isn't becoming of you." Her voice said again.

"I'm sorry.. it's just been so long.." She said, mopping up the tears.

"It is okay, miss." Kagura said.


	7. Gunshots

Ghostly Loners

Chapter 7

Disclaimer: Nope, but I hear you can have him if you send in enough box tops!

Hello. I'm feeling good today. I have drum practice- yay! Monday's are the best.

Everybody else: Yeah right…

Well, I have enough time right now, So I think I'll get started on the next chapter! I feel sorry for you - I'm writing this on Monday, but you guys don't get it till Friday or Tuesday!

Oh well. Not my problem.

Chapter 7: On the Brink

ZzzzzZ

"So, where is Jennifer?" Kagome asked when they got out of Biology.

"Probably still talking to her folks." Inuyasha said, pulling the worm guts out of his long hair.

"So next is gym? I heard we were playing kick ball." Miroku said, standing beside Inuyasha. Their forth and fifth periods had passed without incident, unless you count the guts still inside Inuyasha's ears.

"Right." Sango said.

"Well, well. If it isn't Kagome… and her goonies, I see." A snide voice came from a doorway up ahead. They all looked over to see a boy with dark, dark black hair in the doorway, looking at them with his piercing red eyes.

"What the…? We left our last school to get away from that creep! Did he follow us all the way here!?" Miroku said, looking up at the boy.

"No. Mere… _Coincidence._" He said, hissing the last word. His red eyes narrowed, and the group stopped in their tracks.

"Who is he?" Inuyasha asked, feeling threatened. Just three years ago, he had been threatened by the same three that had killed Jennifer. Even more piled on top of that and he had grown violent, lashing out at everyone… Even Kaede. He had blinded her, in her right eye. He knew - well, he hoped he wouldn't lash out again… but…

The red eyes slid to Kagome, who squeaked and ducked behind Inuyasha. Sango moved to cover Kagome the rest of the way, getting in a fighting position.

"He's the reason we moved here. He was trying to kill Kagome last time we met." Sango said coolly, and Miroku nodded. Then they seemed to… change. Inuyasha's entire outlook on them was destroyed - he didn't know what to think of them. Of course, it wasn't like he had asked them why they moved here, but… Their positions were expert. He didn't think an amateur could mimic those positions so perfectly, and he could feel their power now… even Kagome's dormant powers, which were greater than he knew.

The boy charged, raising a fist and bringing it down on Inuyasha - thinking he was the easiest target. Well, where Inuyasha would have been, at least.

Inuyasha grabbed Kagome and dodged to the right, setting her down and looking at the boy with the red eyes.

"Naraku…" Kagome whimpered, leaning against the wall for support. She fell to the ground, her eyes squinted in pain. Inuyasha's eyes returned to gold long enough for him to look down at the crying girl. He felt a feeling rise up in him, one that he had only felt once before, but he shoved it down with anger as Sango's scream alerted him something was wrong.

He turned around, seeing no one but the trio and himself in the hall way. But Naraku, didn't seem to be Naraku. He had a tentacle for an arm, and was holding Sango against the wall. You could see his maniacal grin get larger from fifteen feet away.

Inuyasha charged, swiping his once-human fingernails down at the boy, the concealing spell dropped.

What Naraku saw last surprised him.

ZzzzzZ

"What do you mean, brother?" Jennifer said. She looked at Sesshomaru. There was no doubt that they were related - the hair gave it away. But the fact Inuyasha had a brother? It was just too strange.

"Yes. He is my younger half-brother. I've only met him once, as I did not get a chance to see him at our Father's funeral. He was six then." Sesshomaru said.

"I know. I died just a week after them." Jennifer said.

"Just tell me where he is!" Sesshomaru shouted at the ghost girl, who was scowling at him.

"I can't. You probably hate him, just like those boys who killed me." Jennifer said coolly. She didn't want the boy she had lived with for over 11 years to die at the hands of his older brother. She didn't want her love to die.

"He doesn't want to kill him, my dear. You must understand. Family means more than anything to Sesshomaru." Kagura said, pressing her hand to her husband's chest. His growling quieted, but he was still glaring at the girl.

"I see." Jennifer said, her form wavering. Though she could maintain this form without trying for Inuyasha, she was having to expend more energy than she would have liked to show herself to the three people before her. So, in order to be able to talk to them, she was going to have to call the psychic back in, or she was going to have to revert to her… real form.

"I'll be back in a moment." Kagura said, leaving the room to check up on Rin. She loved the girl like a daughter, and like her own sister, who lived with them as well. It was strange that Kanna and Rin were the same age.

"What is your decision?" Sesshomaru asked the ghost girl.

'I've got to..' Jennifer decided, not wanting another to know where Inuyasha is. She disappeared, becoming nothing more than a glit on Sesshomaru's senses, but came back as a little girl with shoulder-length blonde hair, wearing the same dress that she had been wearing the day she was murdered.

Her favorite dress at the time.

No wonder she didn't like flowers any more.

"Well, Sesshomaru…" She said. Her voice was just as it had been eleven years ago. The same child-like, sing-song voice.

She had made up her mind.

ZzzzzZ

"Ungh… Where did he get this much power?" Naraku said, limping around the corner. He had set his puppets loose over the school, and was about to make his getaway when a voice stopped him.

"You die here, Naraku." Inuyasha's cool voice said, his eyes red with fury. "My friends are taking care of what weak puppets you sent out…" His voice was maniacal, drawn with rage and his glare was feral.

"He does not die, Inuyasha." A very familiar voice said from around the corner.

"You do." Said another.

The screams were heard throughout the school, along with the shots that were fired. Only two people were left standing, as the blood dripped… from the gun that Jennifer had died by.

ZzzzzZ

Sorry it took so long… and so little to wait for, too. I'm so ashamed…

Ah, well. You still love me, right?

Three hours later

I'll take that as a no…

Flames welcome, so is constructive criticism.

Thanks for reading!


	8. An Ending

Ghostly Loners

OH. MY. GOOGLE.

I never expected myself to be so… lazy. Oh well. We just have to right this injustice now, huh?

Thank you to everyone who read and reviewed while I didn't update. Sorry it took me… two years… to re-grow affection for writing.

Chapter Eight: An Ending

Inuyasha's face was still twisted with fury as his hands gripped the gun. The bullet had whizzed past him, shearing off what little hair had been in the way when he had dodged. The idiot at the other end of the hallway, however, hadn't been so lucky; the bullet Inuyasha had successfully dodged had caught him in the chest, making breathing a bit… difficult.

"You've gotten careless." He hissed, punching the shaking boy in the stomach. "Manten."

He took the gun and turned around, not worrying about the quivering lump behind him anymore. He pointed the gun at Naraku, pausing only to relish in the fear in the other half-demon's eyes.

Then he pulled the trigger.

The shrieks around Sango simply stopped, and she uncovered her ears, watching as the puppet fell lifelessly to the ground. She put away her knife, slipping it under her hoodie where it had been hidden most of the day, wincing at the sharp pain that stabbed at her wrist from where the puppet had blocked an attack.

The rooms around her were oddly silent. She ducked into one of them, noticing everyone had fallen faint - as if a massive sleeping spell had been cast on the school. Sango knew, however, that the cause of it was Naraku's puppet - they had to get the energy somewhere, just like Jennifer.

Sango ran down the hallway to where she had last seen Kagome - the girl had been fine after she had been dragged down the hallway, out of Naraku's sight. She had even stood up - shakily - and got up to fight as a puppet attacked them from the gymnasium doorway.

Kagome was leaning against the wall around the corner, the puppet she had been fighting crumbling into a pile of ash in front of her. She glanced over and sighed, and Sango could hear her relief.

Just in time to feel something on her shoulder.

She whipped around, jumping back and putting her hand on her stomach, where the puppet had gotten a good hit in. Her defense didn't falter for a second, though, and she was prepared for anything.

Miroku smiled at her, not in a mocking way, but in a relieved, kind way. She straightened, noticing he was cut above his eye and on his arm, right through his sleeve. She glanced worriedly at his face, but he shook his head. _He's right_, she thought, _plenty of time to deal with that later_.

Kagome was weak in the knees, and they took her to the office, supported between the two of them. Since she had been targeted by the madman, she had grown stronger, but she had so much untapped potential and so little endurance that she was still less than a threat to almost anything she had faced up to this point.

It really didn't surprise either Miroku or Sango when she passed out in the hallway. They just continued to drag her, barely letting her feet scrape the ground.

Kaede was pushing herself to consciousness as they entered the room. Even if the old woman was a priestess, she was still old. They set her up in the armchair and laid Kagome down on the sofa they had been sitting on earlier that day. Things had gone down the drain so fast…

Another bang resonated through the hallway; only this one was less lethal. A door, just next to the office, had been opened roughly, and the way was being led by a tall man. His suit was pressed and black, and his short hair was pushed back from his face. He didn't even glance in through the window separating the hallway from the office, he just marched on, to be followed by a woman with even darker hair and the same fitted suit.

Kaede wheezed something about Inuyasha, and Sango suddenly remembered her new friend; or, rather, Kagome's new friend. She didn't trust any half-demon as far as she could throw one, but she knew Kagome would kill her if she didn't have the boy waiting when Kagome woke up. She nodded at Miroku, who nodded back; they both knew how predictable Kagome was.

She followed the smell of blood to Inuyasha, but she didn't expect the two people to be right behind her as she turned the corner. She rushed to the boy's prone figure, noting the body of Naraku against the wall. The hole in his head and the gun in Inuyasha's hand was enough proof for her; the half-demon had saved Kagome's life.

The sound of static reminded her of the people behind her. The male was holding a radio up to his face, talking in barely a whisper. The girl beside him simply looked around, uninterested.

"So this is what high school is like." She drawled. She kicked the body of some dark-haired kid beside her, whose chest had been shot. She snickered. "Get the clean up squad here, and quick; make sure they bring…" She glanced up from her entertainment, looking at the carnage; the crumbling stones that had once been walls, the tiles that were now cracked, and the blood that covered everything around her. She seemed to look straight through Sango. "… Three body bags, the hose, a mason kit, and the tile set." She looked at the white haired half-demon, but only briefly. She seemed more interested in the demons and blood.

Sango went to pick up the boy she had come for, trying to not get any blood on her. She threw his arm over her shoulder and stood up, almost falling under his weight. He was slight, but what there was of him had to be pure muscle.

"Hey Sango." The male said, finally removing his glasses. She resisted the urge to glare at the lackey, knowing he was just following orders, but…

"What, Koga?" She snapped.

"How is Kagome?" He ran his fingers almost subconsciously through his hair, which he had cut in order to look manlier. He had been chasing Kagome almost as long as he had been chasing the deranged nutcase that had been Naraku.

"Passed out in the office." She muttered, knowing fully well that the wolf could hear her. She stumbled as she tried to walk past him, though, and was satisfied to hear the faint whisper, "Add to order, four medipaks and a revive pack. Repeat, …"

Sango released the shudder she had felt when that girl had looked through her, though that was the normal reaction she had to Koga's partner. She stopped walking when Inuyasha started to stir; she laid him on the ground and watched him wake up. Kind of interesting, really.

He didn't know what had happened since she had left with Kagome, over half an hour ago. The real problem now, though, is that the spell that had been holding in his appearance had broken when he had attacked Naraku. He rubbed his head, which had appeared to be bleeding, but was really just soaked in blood, his hair included. This gave Sango a great perspective to stare at his claws and ears from. He was already recovering, which scared Sango slightly… in the months of fighting, she and Miroku, not to mention Kagome, with her priestess powers, had barely managed to dent him.

He grumbled, muttering something under his breath before finally looking up at Sango. He didn't say anything else, just sat and looked for a few minutes, before standing up and walking in step with Sango back to the office.

Across town, unbeknownst to anyone, a ghost and a demon were deciding his future. In very angry tones.

Sesshomaru sat down as he listened to the little girl talk about anything and everything that had to do with his brother. True, he had lived his entire life wondering what had happened to his brother, but this was a bit… much.

"What about you?" the girl asked. She had agreed to be the leader of their little expedition, but at a price.

He glanced up from his hands. "What about you, Sesshomaru? Why do you care about an orphan boy who has had nothing to do with you for his entire life?"

He looked away again. He didn't want to, but he knew he had to answer; that was part of the deal.

"Well?" the little girl was impatiently tapping her foot, even though it made no noise on the already carpeted floor.

"… Growing up, all I wanted was a sibling." He began. He knew it was corny; cheesy, even, to begin his story like that. "Growing up, though, it became obvious that I was the only one my parents expected. They didn't get along, as you would probably expect from an arranged marriage. Then, when I was barely a teenager, my parents got a divorce."

The girl reached out as if to console him. "I was ecstatic." That stopped her, and her hand fell to her side.

"My mother retained custody of me, of course, but my father would get me to visit often, under the pretence of moving things out. It was odd, seeing my father happy, especially with a human. It was the last time that I came - to pick up something or other - that I got to meet Inuyasha for the first time. He looked…" He paused for a second. "Just like Father. I only got to meet him that once, before my mother moved us to America and sent me to college."

The pause lasted only a second. "I was so unhappy with my mother. After I graduated college, the accident happened; the one that killed Inuyasha's mother and our father." He shook his head. "How mundane things that kill humans so frequently kill demons as well I will never understand. Guns, car accidents. It doesn't… make sense, I suppose."

"You never saw Inuyasha again, even at the funeral?" Jennifer asked. Sesshomaru just shook his head again.

"I want to make my father proud… I want him to know that I am okay, and that Inuyasha is, too. Over the years, my obsession with finding him grew until… well, you see what I am today."

"A ruthless man willing to knock down anything in his way to find something that he feels he needs to protect." Jennifer said. Her voice was flat, but not in a disrespectful way; she could never be disrespectful to someone who was willing to take Inuyasha under his wing. Sesshomaru nodded, and Jennifer turned around, promising herself she was doing the right thing.

"He goes to school at…"

Inuyasha sneezed. He opened his eyes, deciding he could stop faking sleep long enough to check on Kagome. She had had the strangest reaction to the tentacle-armed boy. Then again, so had he…

He scratched his ear; tilting his head and feeling something shift in his ear. It was almost like he had been swimming and had gotten water in his ear.

Having fluid blood in your ear is not a pleasant thing to think about; he grimaced at the thought. Hopefully, it was just water - or whatever that liquid had been - from the medical pack things that Koga guy had given him.

He forgot his worries when Kagome moved on the couch. She actually snored a little bit before she shut her mouth and moved her head again.

Inuyasha couldn't help but think she was cute. He blushed, to his dismay, when he thought that.

He began to think about the day, but he was also worried about his memory. The last thing he could remember was Kagome being hustled around the corner and then… He could barely remember the loud bang, but that was just the echo. He remembered the cold floor, but not much else until Sango's face was in above his, watching him with actual concern. That was probably the part that had worried him the most.

It wasn't shocking to learn that he had killed the two demons responsible for Jennifer's death. That had been coming to them for a long time. The surprise had come when he learned he had killed another half-demon. It was shocking; he felt no remorse for the dead demon.

Then he remembered the look on Kagome's face when she saw him, and realized why he had reacted the way he had. He looked at Kagome's face again, peaceful in sleep.

He had someone to protect now; someone who would actually get hurt, someone frail.

The door opened loudly next to the office, waking Kagome. Inuyasha looked over his shoulders, not expecting what he would see.

"Did you miss me?" Jennifer said, poking her head through the window.

(Well? Did you miss me?)

The AN starts here. It took me two years and a few hours, but now I know where this story is going. Finally! You would think I'd know that before I went on hiatus… Well, to keep this short, I'm just going to say thank you to everyone who read this and please review!


	9. Never Too Late

Ghostly Loners

Disclaimer - The text on this page is mine; alas, not the series.

Chapter 9 - Never Too Late

The man stood stoically, a living statue as far as Inuyasha was concerned. He didn't blink, didn't twitch, but Inuyasha could see through the makeup on his face even if the humans couldn't - this demon was royalty, one of the most powerful demons Inuyasha had ever met.

That he was his brother was even more shocking; Inuyasha had needed quite a while to get over that piece of information. He believed anything that Jennifer said, but this was a bit far-fetched. What had the girl managed to get herself into this time?

Sesshomaru and Kaede knew each other; that much was apparent. She had been the priestess to perform Izayoi's last rights, as a close and treasured friend, but Inuyasha had never been told that she had met his brother.

After a long, lukewarm discussion between the two, with Jennifer popping back and forth, the two had reached an agreement about where Inuyasha was going to live.

Inuyasha was to choose.

He could live with Sesshomaru, his supposed brother, and his family; his wife, his adopted daughter, and his - extremely young - sister-in-law. He could live in the lap of luxury, going to the best schools or having the best private tutors. He would be an uncle - technically, he already was an uncle.

Or he could stay with Kaede, stay in the same bedroom that had been laid out exactly the same since his first-grade year, stay with someone he trusted beyond a shadow of a doubt. He could go to school here, with his friends, his three new friends who had protected his hide from the puppets while he had protected theirs from that Naraku guy.

Thinking of Kagome's reaction to the bastard had strengthened his resolve; he wasn't going to be taken away from these people who would be with him despite - and because - he was himself; he wasn't going to leave these weak humans who, despite their mortality, fought to save the school. He was going to stay with the people who had accepted him and Jennifer.

He was readying himself to announce this when the doors were crashed open once again, and he turned around, not angry, but slightly cautious. Could it be more murderous morons?

The woman who ran through the office doors was definitely not a murderer, unless you counted suffocating hugs. Kagome was practically purple by the time she let go. Then she turned around and hugged Inuyasha too, just as if she had known him his entire life. He felt lightheaded when she finally let go.

She bustled to the other room at Kaede's request, probably to suffocate Miroku and Sango as well, even though they were probably asleep just then. Kagome shook her head and said something about moms; Inuyasha had to bite back a reply about not knowing about them. It was typical for his anger to rise at the mention of mothers.

Jennifer looked at him from beside Kagome. She had known him so well; she probably knew he was getting upset. She smiled - the tiniest bit - before going back to staring at Sesshomaru in an expectant manner.

Inuyasha cleared his throat. Sesshomaru, from where he was standing in the office, looked over. Inuyasha was really getting tired of this room. He said slowly and quietly, "I'm sorry, Sesshomaru. I think I want to stay here, with Kaede."

"I think I would have been disappointed if you hadn't." Sesshomaru said. He looked from face to face in the room; Kaede, Kagome, Jennifer, who was still a little girl; and finally Inuyasha's. "I do believe we will be closer than the 'keep in touch' stage, yes?" He glanced back to Kaede, who nodded.

"Good; then I will be seeing you tomorrow." He began walking away before Inuyasha could say anything. He was out the door, through the hallway, and being driven away in his car before Inuyasha's jaw would work.

"This is too sudden." Kagome said. She shifted a little bit in her chair; Jennifer was looking at her in a politely curious way. "How did Naraku find us, anyway?"

"I'm sorry, but I'm the answer to that." Koga said as he entered the room. The door behind Kaede opened as well, and Sango, Miroku and Kagome's mom came through, making the office area positively cramped. Koga's assistant just looked on from the outside, amused.

"What do you mean?"

"We were using you as bait." Koga and Inuyasha's sensitive ears were positively bursting when they had stopped screaming at the panicking wolf demon. "We had no choice; we wouldn't let anything harm you, we just had to get the guy before he killed anyone else."

"You always have a choice!" Kagome and Jennifer screamed at the same time, though only Kagome was heard by Koga. He ran his hand through his short hair again; self-conscious and knowing he had blown any chance he might have had with Kagome by admitting he had almost got Kagome and her friends killed.

"You should have been more helpful to us, then; we killed your guy and his lackeys." Sango said. Her eyes were on fire, positively dancing with anger.

"We rebuilt the school, cleaned up the mess, and made sure everyone would wake up at the last bell before leaving; they won't remember anything, I promise you." Koga managed to get out between looking at the glares all around him. He was sweating now; Inuyasha thought it was a good look on the coward.

"No, I'm talking about accommodations." Sango said. "A measly three-bedroom home won't take all of us, no matter how short the stay is. I'm talking about the amount of money you give us to live on for a week, I'm talking about the clothes we're allowed to wear and everything else that you've forced us to do!" She let out what was left of her angry breath before drawing in another one. "You owe us, big time. Nobody likes being bait. Now that your convict is dead, you let us go back to being the way we were, now that the nutcase isn't on the loose, you let us free from the deranged game you've been playing!" She drew in another raspy breath. "And you give me Kohaku back, you sorry loser."

"I'm… I'm sorry, I don't have the jurisdiction to do anything but move you and increase your income. The clothes, the cars you drive, everything has to be different from when you entered the protection of the Service."

Tears were dripping down Sango's face, slowly, before she wiped them away angrily. She muttered something, before collapsing on the couch beside Kagome. Koga coughed.

"Anyway, you need to stay here until we get everything sorted out. It might take half a year, but I'll make sure it gets done as fast as possible." He glanced at his watch. "I truly am sorry, you guys."

If possible, he made a faster getaway than Sesshomaru had. "Stinking wolf." Inuyasha said. While Kagome had berated him for calling Koga that earlier, she didn't say anything now. Kaede looked around, sighing, before she turned back to Ms. Higurashi.

"As you know, young Inuyasha here is the reason for your daughter's safety. Inuyasha, this is Kagome's mother, Ai Higurashi." Inuyasha put out his hand, feeling the same trepidation he had felt when meeting Kagome - _Maybe this feeling is normal_, Inuyasha thought. The tears that Kagome's mom had been holding in were about to come loose; one flowed over and down her cheek just as she let go of his hand. She turned around and hugged Miroku again.

"Do you guys have to stay at school? Seeing as nobody is learning anything anyway, I think you could leave." Jennifer offered. She seemed put out about something.

"If you wanted to leave now, you could, Ms. Higurashi. You could take everyone with you."

Ms. Higurashi nodded, and Kagome stood up, to be supported by Miroku and Sango. Kaede and Jennifer just looked at Inuyasha, who responded with a mental 'What?' in their direction.

Kagome smiled at what she thought was hesitation; she didn't know that he felt completely excluded from their _family_, even if he had saved their lives. She watched as he slowly stood up and glanced, again, at Kaede and Jennifer.

"So…" Ms. Higurashi asked, not really aiming the question at anybody, seeing as there was a ghost girl and a priestess who wouldn't be coming with them, Sango was still drying her tears, Miroku was trying his hardest not to make Sango's day any worse, Kagome was developing a crush on a half-demon boy, and Inuyasha was obviously uncomfortable with everything going on around him. "Who wants to eat where?"

She glanced around her, and since nobody else responded, she turned to Inuyasha specifically. "Where is the best place to eat around here?" She asked the boy who was still staring at the ground.

Jennifer was smiling as she led Kaede out of the room to talk about something; she was obviously trying to lessen the pressure on Inuyasha. He turned some shade of pink and looked away, over Kagome's shoulder, as if that particular basketball plaque was so interesting, before responding.

"There's a place downtown that does pretty good ramen…" He said cautiously.

Everybody could hear Jennifer laughing in the other room.

I'll leave that there. Yeah, it's not nearly as much as I wanted, either. But that's okay, since it didn't take a year and a half to get out. I hope you enjoyed it half as much as I enjoyed writing it! Please review. I know, I sound like a beggar, but I appreciate the feedback and I want to know if I should change anything…

Thank you for reading! I'll try to type faster for the next chapter. Peace out!


	10. In The Dark

Ghostly Loners

Disclaimer: The original isn't mine, but this story is.

Chapter 10 - In The Dark

(^.^)

Inuyasha brushed some salt off of his sleeve and glanced in the mirror. He ran his fingers - though he always thought of them as claws - through his hair.

'I officially hate food fights.' He thought to himself, picking a ramen noodle from a crease in his shirt. He smiled to himself, though, one last time before he walked back into the lobby of the restaurant.

"Hey Inuyasha! Come here!" A small, high-pitched voice called from the dining room. Inuyasha groaned and walked down the thin, photograph-covered hallway.

Kagome, Miroku, and Sango were all cleaning the mess up; the other patrons had left over half an hour ago. The runt that had called for him was sitting on one of the tables in the center of the room, acting like he was the king of the world. Inuyasha glared at the tiny redheaded boy, who, at Jennifer's convincing, had let down his concealment spell.

Jennifer herself had left with Kaede over an hour ago, promising to be back when they were done cleaning up the mess.

"Inuyasha, grab a pair of gloves and get to work!" Miroku griped, bending over and scooping the equivalent of a bowlful of ramen into a large bucket.

Inuyasha sighed and got to work.

(^.^)

At the top of the hour, they were done, sitting around talking, waiting for Kaede to pick them up. The little boy was telling the others about the first time he had met Inuyasha, and how mean he had been. Miroku was laughing, but silently and to himself, while Inuyasha resisted the urge to slap the little fox.

"That is so mean, Inuyasha! You should never pull on someone's tail!" Kagome berated him. She was holding the little boy in her lap, like a pet. Miroku burst out in actual laughter that was quieted immediately a glare from Inuyasha.

"Shippo was being a brat. He also left out the part where he bit my ear - which hurt just as much." Inuyasha was feeling like a normal teenager, though he knew it wouldn't last long. Soon he would have to go home and remove the spell and go to sleep - hopefully soon, because it was already nine o' clock.

Shippo was the son of the previous owners of the restaurant, both of whom had died in a robbery the last year. Inuyasha was close to the boy, mostly because he reminded Inuyasha of another little lost boy… And he was the sole heir to the Red Fox's famous ramen recipes.

He knew the boy was living all alone, but he didn't know what he could do about it. Kaede couldn't just adopt the boy out of the blue. There was also the issue of getting the boy to leave the restaurant.

Jennifer poked her head in the door, stating loudly that it was time to leave. She said a good night to Shippo before going right back out the door. Kagome and Sango hugged the boy one last time before they followed Inuyasha and Miroku out the door. Shippo stood by the door and waved, saddened that his new best friends were leaving.

"Koga called a while ago. He gave us the address of your new home… but you aren't going to like it much." Jennifer said. Kaede was busy driving, so she left the explaining up to the ghost girl.

"Why?" Miroku asked.

"It's a Shinto shrine, on the outskirts of town. Very large and spacious home, but one of the six bedrooms is already being occupied by a very grouchy, superstitious old man." Jennifer turned around and read the address of to the teenagers in the car.

"Wow… That is odd." Sango said. She did some quick calculations in her head; out of the five remaining rooms, Ai would get one to herself, so would Miroku, and Sota; that would leave two, one for Kagome and one for her.

Sango and Kagome appeared to have been following the same train of thought as they turned to each other, saying in complete synchronization; "We get our own rooms!!"

"The bad news is that it is heavily warded. The old man did them himself, he says. That means that Inuyasha and I can't visit. At all."

They mulled over this for a while; that hadn't occurred to them. Miroku looked to be on the verge of asking something when they slowed and stopped, pulling to the side of the road.

Everyone looked out the windows to the curb they had stopped beside; a tall, cement brick building stood, dark and imposing.

"I don't think that's a shrine…" Miroku said doubtfully.

"That's because the shrine is on the other side." Jennifer said helpfully.

They turned their heads at the same time towards the other window, before collectively groaning and looking at their knees.

"That is a lot of steps." Kagome said. Sango shook her head.

"That's alright. At least we don't have to move our own luggage, huh?" Sango said, trying to lighten the mood.

Everyone was exhausted by the time they reached the top. Kagome walked through the gateway, looking at all the streamers and wards that surrounded the area. She didn't feel anything as she walked past one of the heavily warded poles, though. She glanced around in concern.

"Did either of you feel anything?" She asked, turning around. She rotated just far enough to see Sango and Miroku shaking their heads before a loud _pop _sounded and she lost her sight. The wards on either side of her were glowing, turning bright yellow as she stared at them. Finally, the light was too bright, and she shielded her eyes, as more pops sounded from everywhere around her.

"Demon, Be gone!!"

Kagome felt something tap her shoulder, and she turned around, watching through the glare as an elderly man attacked Miroku with more paper. She could actually feel his disappointment as the paper fell away, not even sticking.

More popping noises came, and Kagome noticed they were getting closer. She turned just in time to see the five overloading wards on the pole disintegrate with such a loud noise it echoed through the valley below.

"What in the world happened?" Kagome shouted over the still popping wards. She felt her hair caught up, as if it was being torn out by the breeze.

As suddenly as it had started, the noise stopped, followed only by the rustle of leaves, so ominous that Kagome shivered.

"I don't want to stay here…" Kagome whispered, looking at the clouds closing in overhead.

Sango and Miroku came up beside her, Sango holding Kagome's shoulder reassuringly. They jumped when Inuyasha's voice came from right beside them; they looked over as he and Jennifer arrived.

"The wards… they were attacked from that side of the property…" Jennifer said. Kagome's eyes grew even wider.

"In order to disintegrate all of them…" She began, pausing and turning off to look at where the popping noises had originated.

"The spell - or entity - must have been incredibly strong." Miroku finished. He looked at

Sango, worry and stress showing clearly on his face. "If only we still had our weapons…" he mumbled. Inuyasha and Jennifer heard him clearly, but Kaede and the old man were far enough away, introducing themselves, that they couldn't hear.

"I can run ahead and see what it is." Jennifer offered, but Inuyasha stopped her.

"Kagome's mom is already here. Did you have weapons with you when you came here?" He asked Miroku and Sango. They shook their heads, eliciting a curse from Inuyasha, who also had fighting experience. He lifted his head up, getting a good whiff of the wind that was coming from the back of the grounds.

He didn't know what caused it, but a growl rose from the back of his throat and he tore off, through the woods and brush, and was out of sight in an instant.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome and Kaede shouted. Jennifer, however, was more proactive in her response to his take off, and she followed him, not even animating her legs, but seemingly hovering, zooming through tree after tree until she caught up with him.

She was surprised to see the spell that covered his demon attributes had been dropped. Pulling ahead of him, she kept going until she had reached what a courtyard, with a small building erected on the other side of the path. She turned around, preparing herself to stop him, when a crash sounded behind her.

She was almost done turning around when Inuyasha hurtled out of the trees, cleaving the monster in two. She saw the grotesque, deformed, writhing mass hit the ground and she covered her mouth, even though she couldn't get sick as a ghost.

Inuyasha's chest heaved, and he tried to get control of himself, but there was another scent on the air that made him sick. He turned to the half-destroyed building, where the monster had stupidly crashed into, and, almost calmly, walked up to the place where he could smell blood.

He moved the boards out of the way, shifting them cautiously, and reeling from the scent when he finally uncovered what was bleeding. Jennifer was standing beside him by then, and she gasped when she saw the prone figure of a boy.

"Oh my goodness…" She turned to Inuyasha, who wasn't really paying attention, and practically shouted, "You have to get him back! He won't make it much longer…" She could feel the spirit seeping out of the boy, little by little.

Even if they ran like the wind, it wouldn't be enough; Inuyasha just knew. The boy had lost too much blood already. He stood still as Jennifer knelt down, and watched as the semblance of tears ran down her face and fell onto the boy's. She put her hand on his face, gently, and traced his eyebrow. She looked up into Inuyasha's eyes, imploring him to do something - anything, to save this boy's life.

Thirty seconds later, they were flying through the forest again, and Inuyasha had uncorked more speed than he knew he had. He kept on running until they reached Kaede, who was standing at the top of the steps. She gasped, taking the boy's flaccid hand and feeling for a pulse.

"He's still alive." Jennifer said. Kaede shook her head, but Jennifer pushed harder. "He's alive! The spirit can still hold on, all we have to do is start his heart!" The tears were still flowing, growing more crystalline in appearance, as if they would have caused physical harm to slide down anybody's face. Kaede shook her head again, but this time in defeat. She laid the boy down on the ground and called Kagome over from where they were standing in the doorway of a shrine.

Some brief instructions and they were both healing the small boy, as Kagome whispered "Sota, you stupid little brat…" over and over again under her breath.

Half an hour later, Kaede and Inuyasha were driving back downtown to the small row house they lived in. Jennifer was with them too, but she was relaxing on the top of the car again. And, technically, she didn't live there.

Jennifer was deliberately pushing the near death of the boy out of her mind; he was at least seven years older than she had been, but she, too, had almost given up hope for the small boy. It remained to be seen whether or not the boy would be himself when he woke up - they had managed to bind most of his spirit, but Jennifer wondered…

How much had gotten away?

(.)

Rubbing the remainders of tears from her face had made Kagome very, very red. She was practically rubbed raw, because every time she thought she had it under control, the sights of Sota's white striped shirt ran through her mind, soaked with blood, and she would start up all over again.

A mew came from beside her face, as she was lying on her stomach on her bed. She turned to see the fattest cat she had ever seen beside her. She giggled and wondered how the cat had even managed to get on the bed.

She started petting it, first behind the ears, which was Kirara's favorite spot, but apparently not this cat's. She moved her hand down the cat's neck, and stopped when a rumbling like a broken muffler erupted from the cat.

Again, she smiled to herself, relaxing as the cat started to fall asleep. She stopped petting him momentarily to read his nametag; she giggled again, sleepily, when she read it.

"Buyo…" She mumbled, smiling to herself. She closed her eyes and drifted to sleep. The cat didn't bother moving from the warmth of the new comforter.

Ai Higurashi closed the door and smiled to herself. Her daughter had always been a cat person… just look at the ears of that boy from earlier today! She walked down the hallway to check on her son, the poor boy; he must have gotten lost on one of the paths and ducked inside the shed.

As she closed his door as well, she smiled. Maybe, now that that madman was dead, her family could rest for a while. Maybe they could go home soon. She remembered her husband fondly; she wanted to visit him someday. He was so clever, though; he might even find them soon.

She started down the stairs, still smiling.

Sota began to toss and turn in his sleep. Sweat poured from his forehead. His face twisted in panic, and he finally woke up, gasping, in the bedroom his mother had left him in.

The posters on the wall looked vaguely familiar; the television, the dresser… he had seen it all before.

But he didn't know where he was.

(.) (.) (.)

A bit of amnesia? Maybe. Just for kicks, though.

Thank you to the two who reviewed! I appreciate it. While it's taking a while to get there, I do have a definite ending; the reviews I get help push me down the path I need to go.

I'm going to stop that there. I appreciate you guys reading this story; remember, constructive criticism is always welcome.

Thank you and good night!


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